At 6:56 PM +0000 1/4/09, colinbox wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I've searched the list for information on how to make Quick Time
>movies for posting my recordings to the group but haven't yet
>discovered how to do this. I have listened to nature recordings made
>by some members which are all in the form of Quick Time movies - is
>this the way to post recordings?
>
>I have Quick Time player on my PC but most of the menu options (such
>as making a quick time movie) are not available. Looking on the Apple
>Quick Time website it appears I need to buy Quick Time Pro - is this true?
>
>My second problem is how to actually post recordings. Whenever I click
>on the link to the binary area or mystery sounds I get a 404 error
>message. What are the addresses for these sound archives?
>
>Sorry if this all sounds a bit dumb but I've simply never done any of
>this before. I'm not by any means a techno-phobe, in fact I spend most
>of each day working with my computer. This is therefore a bit
>embarrassing, however, I need one of you wonderful people to explain
>the process to me... Thanks in advance!
>
>Kind regards,
>
>Col
>
Col--
Sometimes an image is very useful, other times, unnecessary. It is
not well-publicized but it is quite easy to use QT Pro to add a still
image to a sound file should that be your requirement. In essence,
one uses traditional "cut and paste" commands with the additional,
timeline "in & out" markers that QT Pro enables. I have some on-line
tutorials I can direct you to if you're interested.
Another way to combine image and sound is to assemble the elements in
a video editor timeline like iMovie or the Windows equivalents.
These sound movies are usually output as (large) DV format files but
these files can be converted into smaller "QT-like" formats using an
app like QT Pro or with several free apps such as
http://www.squared5.com/ Probably the biggest issue is what video
and sound compression formats to use. I often choose "Sorenson 3"
codec for the video (image) because most browser media plugs for PC
and Mac recognize it. H263 is very universal. For movie frame rate
with one still image, a really slow rate like .01 fps will greatly
reduce file size. The sound can become too compromised with the
default settings so I usually select "uncompressed" 44.1K and 16 bits
and keep the sound sample/movie short. The "IMA:4" compression codec
for the soundtrack is another option that is pretty clean and very
compatible.
Yes, its confusing that "QuickTime" is both an production application
and "short" for a browser-based or stand-alone player. People's web
browser settings probably have the most impact on how they see/hear
the files we post. There are many options but one does not hear too
much crying about compatibility when the FireFox browser is used with
the current QuickTime plug installed. Rob D.
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